Sisters
by Snow Tigra
Summary: Sakura's mother just remarried and now Sakura has a step sister who is completely different from her in everyway. One who she's slowly falling in low with without realizing it. SakuraxIno, InoxSasuke and SakuraxRockLee
1. Chapter 1

Title: Sisters Series: Naruto Warnings: Yuri, Alternate Universe, lemon and lime (later)  
Author: Snow Tigra Pairings: Ino Sakura, Sasuke Ino, Sakura Rock Lee  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The two met on one of those rainy days. You know, the rainy days that are dark and bleak and somehow always used to show that something important was about to happen in a person's life, or that someone close had died. Raincoats clinging to warm bodies and thick moisture in the air accompanied the car that pulled up into the driveway and she could only watch out the window as the two of them stepped out of the car and made their way toward the house. The taller man struggled to juggle holding his umbrella and stay dry as he climbed out of the driver's seat, while the young girl simply ducked her head and bolted to the door, arriving with only one slip to hide under the over hang.  
  
A ring of the doorbell was followed by a warm greeting from her mother as the two of them stepped into the house, and Sakura found herself sitting on the stairs, quietly watching the two new people enter the house. She already knew who they were, and she knew that the trunk of their car was full of boxes and suit cases. These people weren't just visiting, they were moving in. Her mom had explained that the night before.  
  
The taller man took off his raincoat to reveal a well pressed business suit, and he came off as one of those people who dressed up in ties and button down shirts even when it was causal day, because that's what looked the best on him and that's what he was comfortable in. His chin was covered with a thick but not half bad looking beard, that made Sakura think of those business men in the movies who always sat in the big chairs with a pipe between their lips, smoking small rings as they discussed educated things. His hair was cut short and larger eyebrows almost hid his brown eyes, which matched the shade of his hair and beard. Yet the beard didn't hide his warm smile as he shed his raincoat and then stepped forward to embrace Sakura's mom.  
  
Sakura frowned and looked at the other girl, not willing to accept any evidence of what she and her mother had discussed the night before.  
  
The girl standing next to him was the perfect image of papa's little girl. She wore a fancy purple dress shirt and a skirt that matched with it, obviously dressed up for the visit. Long blond hair flowed down her back from a high pony tail, brushed to a shine and showing quite perfectly that it was well cared for. Sakura would have guessed that her father brushed it every night to spoil her. A simple purse spoke of a wish to be more grown up then she already was as a young teenager and when baby blue eyes met Sakura's, she immediately found a reason to like her.  
  
She was pretty.  
  
"Sakura, come down and introduce yourself."  
  
Sakura stood slowly to her feet and made her way down the stairs, not glancing up at them anymore. She felt selfconsious and completely out of place in her overalls and tee-shirt. Her mother hadn't told her to dress up. She wouldn't have in the first place but now she was reconsidering it. Great impression for the new family members, when they meet the other daughter who wasn't nearly as perfect, but rather normal and boring in her tomboy ways. She stepped down off the stairs and glanced up just a bit at both of them, letting her long hair work as a blanket to hide behind.  
  
She didn't like meeting new people.  
  
The taller man knelt down and flashed a warm smile at her, somehow managing to see her face through her hair, and he moved poking her nose lightly with his finger. Sakura looked up and rubbed her nose, making a face.  
  
"You're just as cute as your mother."  
  
It was meant to be a compliment, but Sakura didn't accept it as one. She didn't like the idea of anyone but her own father calling her mother cute.  
  
"This is my daughter, Ino. I hope you two will get along, since you'll be sisters now."  
  
Sakura's eyes moved over to the other girl and both of them just stood there looking at each other. Sakura still thought she was pretty, much prettier then the other girls in her classes or in the neighborhood, but then that could have just been envy.  
  
Ino reached her hand forward with a smile. "Can you show me our new room?"  
  
Sakura nodded, but didn't take her hand out of shyness. Turning she led Ino up the stairs toward the bedroom that had once been her own, but that now was filled with two beds and had all her stuff moved to one side of the room. Climbing the stairs she watched out of the corner of her eyes as her mother hugged and kissed the taller man.  
  
Her heart sunk along with any small thoughts of these two only spending the night and then leaving in the morning. It wasn't a sleep over or something as simple as that. They were going to move in, and Sakura would have to rearrange her entire life to accomidate two more people. It wasn't just her and her mother anymore, eating on the couch and laughing at the tv. And it wouldn't be possible for her to sneak into her mother's room and snuggle next to her when it was too cold anymore. She certainly wouldn't be able to stay up late in her room with all the lights on.  
  
Two more people in the house… and she thought her life had changed when they'd finally bought a cat.  
  
"Is this it?" Ino asked, redirecting Sakura's attention back to the bedroom. Sakura nodded, then mumbled a soft yes, attempting to use her voice.  
  
The room was simple enough, the only other bedroom in the house. It was nearly the size of the master bedroom, and had – until the day before – been quite spacious thanks to the fact that Sakura didn't own much but a couple of books and a handful of dolls. Now all of her things were pushed to one side of the room along with her bed, waiting to be arranged into a better order. The other side of the room simply held a bed, waiting for whatever things Ino had brought with her.  
  
Ino stepped into the room and looked around, dropping her purse on the bed before wandering over to Sakura's side of the room and looking over her bookshelves. "You like to read a lot? Maybe that's why you don't talk so much."  
  
Sakura frowned. "I talk," but the words came out small and soft, as she still wrestled with her own shyness.  
  
The other girl glanced over her shoulder and smiled a bit more. "You hide too, it looks like you forgot to brush your hair this morning."  
  
Sakura winced at that and ducked her head a bit more, not wanting to see the almost scolding look in Ino's eyes. That was what the other students at school said, but when she did pull back her hair they made fun of her face. She'd decided it was easier to hide behind the hair, then let them see her cry.  
  
Hands brushed through her hair and Sakura looked up in surprise, not even realizing that Ino had stood up and was now standing behind her. She fidgeted and twisted her hands nervously as she felt Ino pull her hair back and tie a small ribbon in her hair much like a headband, then the girl circled back around Sakura and flashed a bright smile.  
  
"You shouldn't hide so much."  
  
Sakura blinked. "You're not… going to make fun of my face?"  
  
"Only if you keep hiding it," Ino said with a wink. "You can use my ribbon for right now, but you should get more of your own. A girl's face is pretty, she should show it off, that's what papa says.  
  
"That's because your face is pretty," Sakura said softly, glancing down at the floor. "Mine isn't."  
  
"Silly, we're sisters now. Papa wouldn't have married into an ugly family."  
  
Sakura looked up at her, a smile crossing her face. "Really?"  
  
Ino nodded. "I've got a cute sister, who's my age. This'll be a lot of fun. Right?"  
  
Sakura considered those words, then nodded very slowly. "R-right."  
  
Ino smiled and moved back over, lying down on her bed. "It's going to be strange though, getting used to sharing a room. I'm used to having my own."  
  
"Me too," Sakura agreed, taking a seat on her own bed. "But I don't snore."  
  
Ino blinked, then started giggling, apparently thinking that comment was quite absurd. After a moment Sakura joined her, giggling with her at her own silly comment.  
  
Maybe having a sister wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
It wasn't bad.  
  
It was worse.  
  
Three years later and Sakura wasn't feeling any better about her sister then she had when they'd first stepped in the door. Three years of sharing the same room wasn't the only source of the rift growing between the two girls, it was mostly due to Ino's behavior, or so Sakura said. In the three years they'd been living together she'd discovered more about her sister, including things she never really wanted to know.  
  
Weren't sisters supposed to be sweet? Weren't they supposed to be friendly and share secrets and stand up for each other in different situations? Sisters were supposed to be close and they were supposed to be the best of friends. They weren't supposed to drive each other insane and make the other nearly homicidal.  
  
Ok, so it wasn't always that bad, maybe that was a bit over board.  
  
But three years had passed and Sakura now found herself thoroughly entrenched in Ino's perfect little shadow. Her initial thought of her new step-sister being papa's little girl had been right on, because their new father spoiled his real daughter to no end. Beyond that fact, she was the perfect student in school and everyone begged for the chance to be around her. Sakura had given up trying to follow in her sister's foot steps and had easily fit back into her quite role of being the silent tomboy in the front of the class who always knew the answers, but was never brave enough to raise her hand.  
  
She's kept the ribbon and eventually used her own hair ties to keep her hair back from hiding and had actually gained enough self-confidence to not worry about that too much, but it hadn't changed how people reacted to her. She was still ignored and still too quiet to actually say anything about it. To make matters worse, her interests conflicted with each other and it caused even more people to avoid her.  
  
Sakura was like any other girl her age that she knew. She liked flowers and she still loved to read her novels and actually enjoyed doing her school work. She would have loved to make comments about all the cute boys at school, but a lack of friends would have left her talking to herself and people stared enough as it was. Instead she was left all alone in her daily routine, finding gym class to really only be her favorite class because even if she was quiet, she was talented enough physically to spend most of the class in the boy's section. Sure they teased and made fun of her, but that was the only class where she could see the envy in the other girl's eyes and as shallow as it sounded, it gave her a bit of a good feeling.  
  
Ino, on the other hand, was perfect. Perfect grades came as only part of the package, followed by perfect friends, complete beauty that she stood out in the hallway and even a perfectly girly fear of bugs, which gave the occasional laugh. But she didn't seem to have a single flaw that Sakura could find or that anyone else cared to notice. Even her elitist attitude toward others, which seemed well deserved, wasn't faulted. Ino did pick on the girls at school who were not up to her standards, but never Sakura. But then she never seemed to notice Sakura either.  
  
Sakura couldn't decide if it was a blessing or a curse.  
  
How does one live with such a perfect sister and manage to stay out of her shadow? No one would ever notice Sakura, not while Ino was so damn perfect and noticeable herself.  
  
Sakura turned away from her desk in the bedroom and dropped back onto her bed. Her homework was left unfinished and laying out, but then it was usually like that at home. She wasn't even sure why she bothered anymore since she knew Ino was going to be a detraction. Attempting to get any kind of work done in the same room as her stepsister was futile.  
  
"Did you see him today?" Ino asked, sucking on a piece of licorice as she flipped through a photo album of her and her perfect friends. Her homework was still in her backpack, she never even touched it until the sun set.  
  
"See who?" Sakura asked, not glancing at her sister. She usually didn't care about whatever Ino's attention was focused on, but she was raised to be too polite to not return attempts at conversation, especially since they were so rare.  
  
"Uchiha Sasuke, the new transfer student."  
  
Sakura made a face at that. Yeah, she'd noticed him. How could she not?  
  
Sasuke had transferred to their school the day before and already he was the talk of every locker room and bathroom retreat where girls disappeared to touch up make up and giggle over gossip. An athletic looking body and near perfect compared to the other boys, his head sported a messy and almost pointy hair style that looked like it killed most any comb that attempted to place it to order, with gravity being the only thing that gave it any sort of order. His eyes were a dark black, the color of garnet in the right light, giving an eerie color that probably wasn't natural, but could be. He even had a tattoo on the back of his neck, which sent all the teenage girls into a flutter of sighs and fainting. One day and the words 'hot' and 'sexy' were already cluttering the school air.  
  
Sakura decided to not mention that he sat next to her in one of her classes.  
  
"He's just so perfect. And he's single," she added matter-of-factly.  
  
Sakura considered that thought. For Ino to say someone was perfect so easily… she'd never heard that before. She'd always thought Ino's standards were too high for that.  
  
"He sits next to me in calculus," she blurted out softly.  
  
"Really?" Ino sat up and for a very rare moment, focused her complete attention on Sakura. "What's he like?"  
  
Sakura resisted a small smile. Who knew it was so easy to get her sister's attention. "He's real quiet, and tends to glare a lot. Actually a bit… well… pissy."  
  
Ino giggled a bit. "He sounds just perfect. I wish I sat next to him in class."  
  
"He's just like sittings next to anyone else…"  
  
"I bet he's amazingly smart and gets all the questions right. Of course, he's not conceited or egotistical, so he barely ever raises his hand. That's how pissy guys are supposed to be." Ino didn't seem to hear Sakura, she just kept going about how Sasuke could do no wrong and how Sasuke had to be the most perfect person in the world.  
  
So much for the attention. Sakura sighed softly and tuned her sister out, rolling over and retreating into the book which she kept near her bedside. But a moment later she was interrupted, surprised to find Ino leaning over her.  
  
"You like him, don't you."  
  
Sakura blinked. "W-what?"  
  
"Admit it, you think he's cute." The smile on Ino's face was one that Sakura recognized quite well. It was the smile that her step sister gained when ever she was talking with her friends or discussing the latest gossip on the phone. Such times were the only time Ino ever smiled like that. She'd never smiled around Sakura like that before.  
  
"Well… maybe a little," Sakura admitted shyly. She watched in surprise as Ino's eyes seemed to light up at finding a kindred spirit in the sister who always fell asleep in the same room next to her. It seemed, at least to Sakura, that suddenly they had something in common that Ino deemed worthy enough to notice.  
  
"Well of course you do! I mean my father married into a family with good sense, didn't he? Anyone with good sense would find him attractive."  
  
Sakura found herself smiling and nodding a bit. "You should see, it's really cute. He doesn't take notes in class, instead he just doodles little designs of ninjas down the side of his notebook with stars and daggers flying across the page."  
  
Ino giggled and took a seat on the bed next to her sister. "He's so smart he doesn't need to take notes? I suspected as much. He did really seem that perfect…."  
  
The conversation spiraled down into girlish remarks, giggling and dreaming. The smile never left Ino's face and Sakura found herself smiling as well, suddenly very happy to give Ino all the little bits she'd ever noticed about Sasuke while he sat next to her in class. When the information and gossip ran out, both of them dropped into the simple dreams of teenage boys. How they thought he would act on dates, how he acted at home, what was in his room and even occasionally dreaming about what kind of pajamas he slept in.  
  
Sakura fell asleep that night with a smile on her face. For the first time in the last three years she felt like a part of Ino's life, just like a sister should be. It was a great feeling.  
  
One she was determined not to lose. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Life changed significantly after that night and Sakura found herself suddenly a part of Ino's life. Just one night's conversation and suddenly Sakura and Ino were walking to school together. Not just that but Sakura found herself offered a place to sit at Ino's table of friends and she was introduced as "Ino's sister, the one who sits next to Sasuke" which gained her instant status in the group. In the blink of an eye she had a group of friends who were willing to talk to her about nearly anything and suddenly didn't seem to care that she wasn't the most fashionably dressed and that she preferred to read so much.  
  
Sakura had become popular.  
  
Because of a seating chart.  
  
It should have been shallow. She should have felt guilty for finding herself in the spotlight for something so simply and absurd, but instead Sakura bathed in the attention. Finally people talked to her and paid attention to what she had to say beyond the questions that the teachers called on her for. People suddenly cared about who she was and what she thought.  
  
Beyond that was the most important part: Ino. Ino paid attention to her. Sakura suddenly became not just her acknowledged sister but also the same standing as perhaps a friend, if not a best friend who had access to her sister's most intimate secrets, just for simply answering how Sasuke acted in class each day. Sakura was simply a middle man for the object of Ino's affections but that was enough to give her exactly what she'd wanted.  
  
She now felt like she had a sister. A real sister.  
  
Of course, other things came with this deal as well. Certain things that Sakura had really not expected.  
  
"Excuse me?" Sakura blinked at the boy in front of her, not really sure what to say, and certainly not sure what to do about the letter that had been pressed into her hand.  
  
The boy in front of her was one she'd seen here and there, mostly in her gym class, and he seemed to be the teacher's favorite student. On a creepy side he looked like their teacher's son, even though he wasn't. On top of that he had abnormally large eyebrows which shadowed his large eyes and a tendency to wear green. A lot of green. Then there was the fact that he always smiled.  
  
He was now flashing that same smile at Sakura, and shyly managing to ask her to open the letter after class.  
  
"Just open it and read it, really that's all I ask. After class. Please? I won't bug you anymore after that, just read it. I wanted you to know that I think you… well you're… please!"  
  
Sakura blinked not sure at all what to say. Holding the letter in her hand she nodded. "I… I'll do that."  
  
"Thank you!" The boy flashed one of his bright and nearly blinding smiles, then ducked back into the rush of students, leaving Sakura to stand there in confusion.  
  
Sakura numbly walked to her next class, turning the letter over in her hands. She didn't even know the boy's name, all she knew was that he liked to go by the name 'Rock Lee' which made him sound like some kind of wrestler or something. But to receive a letter from him?  
  
She wasn't stupid, she had a fairly good idea what was inside. And it wasn't the fact that he'd given her something that really gave her the shock, but rather that someone actually paid attention to her now enough to know she existed and enough to even consider wanting to know her more.  
  
Was it because she was suddenly visible because of her sister's social group?  
  
Sakura slid into her desk and turned the letter over once more, opening it slowly. Inside she found a card with a beautiful picture of a cherry blossom tree on the front, it's branches and petals blowing in the wind. Just an amazing picture of a sight that was actually quite rare in the summer when they bloomed. Inside the card were no words. Just a hastily sketched picture that was obviously of Rock Lee, winking and blowing a kiss at her in the shape of a little heart.  
  
Sakura's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks get a bit warm as a giggle slipped out of her throat. Closing the letter quickly she pulled out her things for class, ready to pay attention even if the smile didn't leave her face.  
  
The letter was cute, much cuter then words had ever been. And the back of her mind wondered how Ino would have reacted to such a cute little card.  
  
The next week at school Sakura stepped out of her class to a surprising sight. Ino was standing over by the lockers, talking with Sasuke.  
  
Sasuke, who Sakura was sure would never ever speak to her sister.  
  
They were actually having a normal conversation between classes.  
  
Sakura watched her sister, just standing there by the classroom door and forgetting about the fact that there were other students in the hallway. She watched how her sister leaned against the lockers, her arms crossed in a pose clearly meant to show off her stylish fashion sense and her body. Her long blond ponytail flowed over one shoulder, under her arms to disappear at her waist.  
  
She stood to show off how perfect she was, a talent that Ino seemed to have been born with, or at least learned to perfection before she'd moved in with Sakura and her mother. When Ino put her mind to it, she knew how to get what she wanted and she was good at it. Be it a pouting look or a perfect pose, Ino could do it. It was one of the reasons she was so popular and so well liked. If a person didn't like her, she knew how to make them like her.  
  
Sasuke, for his credit, didn't seem overly impressed at first glance. He still had his slouching stance, a disinterested look on his face. But Sakura knew better then that. It wasn't that she overly paid attention to Sasuke, but from all the questions she knew that if Sasuke talked to you, it meant he was interested. Because Sasuke never talked to anyone, and didn't even speak if he was called on in class and he could avoid it. He was one of those people who didn't like other people.  
  
And yet he was holding a conversation with Ino.  
  
Sakura's expression fell. Those two would be talking for a while. Looks like her brush of friendship had just outlived its usefulness now that Ino had Sasuke in her hands. And it looked like Sakura would now be walking home alone.  
  
She exited the school building without really much else to think about. Her mind shifted to a strange kind of haze, not really thinking or caring about anything as he feet moved on autopilot home. In her mind all she could see was her sister talking to Sasuke in a quiet but friendly tone. She blinked her eyes and shook her head, but the image stayed.  
  
Why the hell did it bug her so much?  
  
Wasn't this what she'd agreed to help Ino get? She'd known this would happen right when Ino had started to ask about Sasuke and bug her for details. Ino had set her sights on the boy and of course she was going to move forward and catch him. Sakura had only been part of that plan.  
  
So why did it bother her now?  
  
Because now she was alone. Again.  
  
Sakura stopped walking and dropped down onto the bus stop bench, swinging around her backpack so that she could hug it and lean against it at the same time. Her eyes unfocused on the sidewalk as she just stared.  
  
Why did it feel worse now then it had before?  
  
"Hey."  
  
Sakura jumped a bit when she felt the hand rest on her shoulder and looked up in surprise. She found herself sitting at the bus stop in the opposite direction from her house and standing in front of her was Rock Lee. She blinked her eyes, mostly to make sure she hadn't started crying and just looked at him. A moment later it registered to answer.  
  
"Umm, hi."  
  
"Isn't your house the other way? Or were you wandering this way to possibly get a chance to meet up with me?" On anyone else the over confidence would have been annoying and might have actually ticked her off. But for some reason, on Lee, it was almost cute.  
  
"I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."  
  
"You busy today? Since classes are over?"  
  
Sakura shook her head.  
  
Rock Lee grinned at that and took her hand. With little to no warning he pulled her to her feet and actually onto the waiting bus. Sakura's eyes went wide but she didn't manage to find her voice to protest until they were seated at the back, surrounded by men in business suits and women hugging grocery bags.  
  
"Wait, where are we going?"  
  
"Out to a movie."  
  
Sakura blinked. "A… movie? But I-"  
  
"You said you weren't busy, so I'm taking you on a date."  
  
"Wait a second! I didn't agree to this. I might have stuff to do at home, and homework."  
  
Rock Lee looked at her and blinks. "Do you?"  
  
"Well no but-"  
  
"Then it's decided." Rock Lee sat back in the seat and grinned brightly, all excited about the fact that he'd scored a date.  
  
Sakura resigned herself to sitting meekly in the seat, a shy look on her face as she watched the houses and cars drive by.  
  
"And where exactly were you?"  
  
Sakura blinked as she stepped in the door, completely surprised to find her self face to face with her sister, who had her hands on her hips and was looking more like a mother at the moment then a sister. Ino looked annoyed. More then that, Ino looked pissed.  
  
Something ticked in the back of Sakura's head. Something she'd never felt before. "On a date." She said, removing her shoes and stepping past Ino.  
  
"A date?! When did this happen? You didn't tell me you were going on a date! Who with?"  
  
Sakura carried her bag upstairs, Ino following behind her nagging her for information. Sakura had to resist the urge to smile. She actually liked seeing this change in her sister, no matter how shallow it may have seemed. First Ino had dropped her for Sasuke and Sakura had been pissed, but now, thanks to Lee's insistence, she'd turned the tables and it felt good to have Ino so interested in her boring little life. The feeling of being real sisters came again and this time Sakura was determined to hang on to it.  
  
"Just a boy."  
  
"Just a boy? Sakura! You don't go on a date with just a boy. Who was he?"  
  
"He's from my gym class, you wouldn't know him." Which was true. Ino and Sakura didn't have the same class. But Sakura also didn't feel like telling Lee's name either, even if it did make it sound like she was using him. But wasn't this how all of Ino's friends talked about the boys they went on dates with? Was it really such a bad thing to make it sound like more then it was? Because she really just couldn't help it at the moment.  
  
Backpack dropped on the desk and jacket lost to the chair, Sakura sat down on her bed and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.  
  
"You have to give me more details then that. Who is he? What does he look like?"  
  
Sakura shook her head and did her best to ignore her sister, reveling in the attention she received from being stubborn. In reality, nothing had happened on the date. Lee had taken her to a fighting movie, something along the lines of kung fu that should have been too much of a testosterone movie for her to like, but it ended up being a comedy because of how ridiculous the main character's abilities were. It didn't help that at the ice cream shop they stopped at Lee kept trying to mimic his movements, sending them both into laughs and completely fixing Sakura's depressed mood. She'd gotten on the bus to head home with a smile on her face, probably the most sincere smile she'd had in a long time.  
  
"You're no fun," Ino pouted. "At least tell me if there will be a second date."  
  
Sakura thought about that. Would she go out with Lee again? It would probably be just as fun, he was funny and entertaining and surprisingly interesting to talk to. She'd managed to almost completely forget about Ino the entire time…  
  
That wasn't true. She'd spent the entire time imagining how Ino would have laughed at his jokes and how Ino would have enjoyed herself there. Sakura's smile wilted just a little bit.  
  
"Probably."  
  
"I want to meet him! You'll introduce us right? I want to meet this man who's swept you off your feet in one step."  
  
"Maybe later." Sakura turned off her bedside light and rolled over in bed, just laying down to sleep. The over head light was still on, but she didn't care too much. Suddenly she felt empty and cold as the truth decided to prance itself around in her brain.  
  
She'd just used Lee.  
  
To make her sister jealous. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Weeks passed without much incident. Ino and Sakura still stayed close, and Sakura was still a member of Ino's group of friends, but they didn't ask her about Sasuke anymore. Because Sasuke and Ino had started dating.  
  
That in itself came as a nice little blow, but since Sakura rarely saw them together and made it a point to not be downstairs when the boy came to pick her sister up she managed well enough. Sasuke never sat with Ino at lunch, because he never ate lunch with others and he had his own little hang-ups about being around a lot of people so they weren't seen together often around school. It all sounded strange to Sakura, but she didn't think about it too much, because that would have reveled on the fact of her mind staying on that subject for long periods of time and depressing her more. She didn't want to think about it any more then possible on that.  
  
Meanwhile she was getting along quite well with Lee, in spite of her own fear and worries from the first night. After two more meetings Sakura and Lee had both come to the conclusion that they weren't really dates, but more like just spending time with a best friend. Lee still made jokes about one day sweeping Sakura off her feet and into a chapel on a moment's notice, but it was usually just to get her to smile a little more or to even laugh. They both found the thought of him in a suit comical as he didn't really seem to have a serious day in his life.  
  
Movie 'dates' happened more often and Sakura felt more and more easy around him. Part of her used him to not be home and alone while Ino wasn't there, but she didn't feel as guilty any more because she actually enjoyed herself and he seemed to have fun too. So it couldn't really be called a bad thing, right?  
  
But more time passed and certain things began battling for attention and she couldn't ignore them anymore.  
  
Ino came home later and later every night, starting to go out with Sasuke on a regular basis. Their parents were of the mind that Ino was growing up and her hanging out with other boys was really no different then the 'dates' that Sakura went on with Lee, no matter how much Sakura protested that those weren't dates. Her parents wouldn't listen to her pleas and they seemed to think it was normal.  
  
Was it normal for Sasuke to basically ignore Ino at school? Was it normal for him to not seem to care at all about her? He seemed like such a heartless prick to her sister and it really ticked Sakura off. Her sister deserved more then that. She deserved to be happy and to have someone who did care about her and was willing to admit it to the public.  
  
"Like you."  
  
Sakura blinked. "What?" She looked up at Lee, realizing that she'd managed to crush her sandwich between her fingers, a bit of mayo leaking out. Sakura made a face and quickly grabbed a napkin to wipe off her hand.  
  
"You were saying that she should have someone who cares about her, like you." Lee repeated, an odd little impish grin on his face.  
  
"Of course I care about my own sister," she retorted, biting into her sandwich and looking down at her food. She chewed slowly but the sandwich tasted dull and stale and Sakura felt more like she was eating her own lies then a simple piece of cheese between bread and mayo.  
  
"You like her."  
  
"Don't be silly Lee."  
  
Lee grinned and laid down on the ground in front of Sakura, looking up at her so she couldn't avoid his eyes now. He seemed to scrutinize her for a moment then sat up, the grin on his face actually managing to grow bigger. "You, Sakura, like you own sister."  
  
Sakura stopped at her attempt to eat her sandwich and stood up, tossing it in the garbage. She suddenly wasn't hungry anymore at all. "Shut up, Lee, that's just gross."  
  
"Why? Sounds perfectly normal to me."  
  
"Are you kidding? For one, we're sisters! We're family! Family doesn't fall in love. I don't know about you, but everywhere I've been that's illegal. And if that weren't enough we're both girls. I'm supposed to like boys. Just like everyone's insisting I'm going out with you." Sakura could hear the slight shake in her voice and it made her uncomfortable. She didn't want to talk about this, she wasn't comfortable talking about this. Weren't you supposed to be able to tell your close friends anything? Why was Lee making such a big deal out of something so stupid as being worried about her older sister?  
  
Lee shrugged. "Some people like girls and some people like guys."  
  
"I'm not talking about this anymore. I have class." Dropping the rest of untouched lunch in the trash she walked off to class, not even once looking back at Lee. Her stomach turned a few times, reacting now to her guilt for leaving Lee like that, but she wasn't willing to go back and talk to him.  
  
The idea… the simple idea of it was just absurd!  
  
Or so she told herself.  
  
Sakura couldn't help but perk up as she heard the door downstairs close. Her eyes flickered to the clock, noting the late hour, but otherwise she stayed on her bed her eyes still scanning her geography book. Even though her eyes crossed over the page she listened to the closet door being opened and the shoes being kicked off before feet covered in nylon mounted the stairs.  
  
Ino always dressed up extra for Sasuke.  
  
The door opened and Ino stepped into the room, wearing the same outfit she'd worn to school the day before. Her hair was pulled back into a bun behind her head and she wore a dark purple skirt, with a velvet style button down shirt and a small necklace. Even Sakura would admit it looked good on her, but she would only admit that to herself and wouldn't even dare to admit it out loud.  
  
"Sasuke is such a great kisser," she blurted out, dropping back on the bed with an over dramatic sigh.  
  
Sakura rolled her eyes and didn't look up from the book, her mouth tilted down in a frown. She resisted the urge to make a motion of gagging herself, but it was hard.  
  
"I'm serious Sakura, he's so good. I could kiss him all night."  
  
"Good for you," she muttered and turned the page. "Don't you have homework?"  
  
Ino shrugged and just seemed content to smile and stare up at the ceiling in some royally happy fairy tale trance. "I'll do it at school tomorrow morning." She stayed silent for a moment, then sat up. "Listen, I've got something wonderful to tell you and I have a favor to ask."  
  
Sakura rolled her eyes again and turned, looking over at her. "What?"  
  
"Cover for me." Ino clapped her hands together. "Please!"  
  
"Cover for you, for what?" She asked with a frown. This couldn't turn out well. Ino never asked for favors like this and it wasn't going to be a good thing. It never could be.  
  
"Sasuke's parents are leaving for the weekend…"  
  
Sasuke's parents leaving? "No." Sakura snapped out the answer before her mind could even comprehend what Ino was asking. A second later she realized it and that only hardened her resolve. She shook her head and repeated herself. "No."  
  
"Come on Sakura, please. It's just for one night."  
  
Sakura shook her head again. "Not a chance. I'm not covering for you while you spend the night at his house. He's your boyfriend. I'm not getting dragged into this plot. You know it's against the rules."  
  
"Big deal, not like we're going to do anything. It's just like a date. It's just longer, and at a different time of the night."  
  
"No. No and no. I am not agreeing to this."  
  
Ino glared back at her sister. "Fine. Then you're not telling either."  
  
Sakura stopped. She'd never heard Ino speak in that tone before and the sharpness of it seemed to steal her voice right out from her own throat. Sakura winced slightly. "I…"  
  
"If you're not in on it, fine. Then this weekend, you don't know. As far as you know I'm at Hinata's."  
  
Sakura blinked, shaking her head. "You don't even like Hinata-"  
  
"Mom and dad don't know that." Ino stood up and walked over to Sakura, standing in front of her and actually glaring down. "You're not telling them."  
  
Sakura sunk a bit from sitting on her bed, actually cringing at that look. It hurt. "Ino I-"  
  
"I mean it Sakura. If they find out, then it's you and it's your fault. And I'll know it. Don't you dare tell them." Ino turned back and went back over to her bed, grabbing her bag. "Or I'm never talking to you again. Period."  
  
A childish threat at best, the kind of threat two sisters made in the heat of the moment when they were 10 and something that was forgotten an hour later. It was right up there with the devastating childhood threat of not being invited to the birthday party. But at the moment, this didn't seem childish at all. In fact, it hit Sakura like a punch to the stomach and she winced, lowering her head finding herself on the verge of tears.  
  
"I mean it. You had better not tell."  
  
"I won't." She agreed very softly. "I… I promise."  
  
Ino seemed satisfied with that and grabbed her bag, leaving the room.  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sakura didn't tell.

She spent the week walking around in a daze, watching Ino go about her normal life. At lunch she abandoned Ino and her friends, opting for the solitude of the corner of the lunch room and a book to occupy her thoughts, rather then hearing about Ino's wonderful plan to spend the night of her life with the one who'd been dubbed the sexiest boy in school. A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach and threatened to stay there, constantly bugging her to tell and not letting her think about much else.

On one hand she wanted to tell, and she would have in a second. She could have easily fooled herself and told her own mind it was for Ino's own safety, that girls their age weren't supposed to be found alone at boy's houses, no matter who it was. She could have fooled herself into thinking that she was only doing what was right, but the consequences of telling were too severe. She didn't doubt that Ino would go through with that threat of hers. And there would be nothing more horrible then not being able to talk to one's own sister.

Classes and time at home passed in fuzzed motions and before Sakura even realized what was going on, it was Friday, the night Ino wasn't going to come home. She found herself sitting at home, her school work laid out over the bed as usual, but she couldn't concentrate on a thing. Instead her eyes were on the clock, watching the minutes slowly tick by.

The house was quiet. Their mother and father were out, at some fancy dinner or something for Ino's father's job. They were gone and they didn't know.

Ino was at Sasuke's.

Sakura closed her book and wandered over, glancing at the phone. Her mind tried to come up with some excuse to tell them, some reason to call Ino, some thing… anything…

But nothing was coming.

She dropped back to sit on Ino's bed, bringing her knees to her chest as her mind played with images of Sasuke and Ino kissing and more. She couldn't think of anything else. She was jealous, she knew that. At the moment, though, she was so distracted she didn't care. All she could think about was what Ino could be doing over at Sasuke's house. 

She'd tried rationalizing it out to not trusting Sasuke with her sister, her mind attempting in earnest to make him out to be some insensitive jerk who would eventually take away Ino's heart and rip it to shreds as he moved on to the next girl in the line that had formed after him. She tried to imagine him with a sinister grin or a leering look, anything to make the protective illusion more believable, but it never looked right. She'd never seen Sasuke with any expression but one of disinterest or boredom. She couldn't picture him hurting Ino. Instead, she was really just worried about one thing. The fact that Ino was with Sasuke, and not with her. 

Jealousy was an emotion that started small, and soon grew to eat a person from the inside out, and Sakura now knew that feeling very well.

Her mind swirled around the jealous thoughts, making them more potent and harder to ignore, like shaking up a bottle of soda and just waiting for it to burst. She couldn't pay attention to her textbooks, couldn't even quiet her mind enough to watch television. Nothing else entered her mind, she couldn't concentrate. She barely even heard the doorbell ring from downstairs. 

Barely.

Sakura glanced up as the doorbell rang again, finally gaining a passage way into her mind to be acknowledged, and she stood up to go down the stairs. Half of her welcomed the distraction from her thoughts, but the other half repeated in her mind, wishing quite loudly that it would be Ino at the door.

Instead, when she opened the door, she found the one to be standing in front of her was Lee.

Sakura blinked. "Lee?"

"Wow, you are out of it. When you open a door you're supposed to at least say hi, or smile, or something. You're looking at me like I'm a ghost." His voice held a mocking tone, but he was flashing one of those confident and infecting smiles. Sakura only had to look at him for a moment, before the smile infected her as well, and she gave a small one of her own.

Relaxing a bit, she tucked back her short hair. "I just wasn't expecting anyone, that's all. Did you want to come in?"

"Sure! It would be a shame to come all this way and not talk for a moment at least."

Sakura nodded and stepped back so he could come in, then closed the door behind him. When she turned back around, she jumped back a bit as she found Lee standing very close to her, blocking her from going to any hallway or stair, and she was too close to open the door again.

"Umm… L-Lee…"

The boy crossed his arms and looked intently at her. "All right, that's it. Spill."

Sakura blinked. Spill? "Spill what?"

"Spill what's been bugging you. You've barely even said hello to me all week. We're friends, I dare say even best friends, perhaps the best in the school, but you've been walking around and moping all week! You won't even talk to me about it, you just go sit by yourself at lunch and eat your sandwich and read your book. Everyone's probably noticed. I can't even imagine what they are thinking since you look so sad! They're probably blaming me!"

"Oh." Sakura glanced down, not exactly sure what to say to that. She barely even remembered Lee talking to her for most of the week. Apparently she'd been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice him.

Shyly Sakura looked back up at him, wondering exactly what to say. She wasn't sure what excuses to give, none of them really sounded good enough or believable to her ears. Everything her mind came up with sounded hallow or used, cliché even. Nothing he would ever believe. And he seemed to be able to tell that from her expression.

"The truth, Sakura. I can't do anything if I don't know what's really going on."

Sakura sighed. Well… Ino never said she couldn't tell Lee. "She's out… with him. F-for the night." She tried to make her voice steady, but somehow the answer ended up stuttering itself as soon as she opened her mouth. Leaning back against the door, she turned her head, avoiding his eyes again. She didn't need to tell Lee who 'she' was, because he'd already figured it out. Lee didn't blame her for it, in fact most of the time he seemed happy for her. Still, that didn't change that she couldn't wrap her mind around loving her sister.

"Ino's at Sasuke's."

Sakura nodded.

"For the whole night?" 

Sakura nodded again.

"And your… parents don't know."

Sakura cringed a bit against the door before giving a third nod, really feeling like she wanted to sink away now. Was that disapproval she heard in his voice? Disappointment? There was a soft bite to his words, just hidden in the back, something below his usual bright smile and cheerful stance. Sakura didn't know what that tone meant, it just struck her as cold and scolding almost. 

Lee took a step toward her and suddenly Sakura found herself wrapped in his arms and a gentle hug. Maybe she'd heard that wrong, because now the tone struck her as concern. She realized she was so paranoid about her sister finding out that she hadn't even wanted to tell Lee anything, and she was projecting Ino's promised reaction onto Lee. The last thing she expected was for him to hug her. And at the same time, it was the thing she needed most.

Sakura leaned into his arms and closed her eyes, finding it incredibly easy to relax like that, especially after a week of being completely high strung over the secret she knew. She barely even noticed him leading her over to the couch and she dropped to sit next to him, not letting him go the entire time.

The stress seemed to completely drop her away and she suddenly felt heavy, exhausted. She didn't realize how much of a toll this was all taking on her. In Lee's arms, along with the ability to feel relaxed, came the undeniable need to relax, and she couldn't hold out any longer. Sakura didn't even have time to feel guilty as her eyes slid shut and her consciousness shut down, dropping her into the most restful sleep she'd had all week.

It was the sound of the phone that finally woke her. Sakura stirred, swimming back up to consciousness, to find herself still in Lee's arms, still being held protectively as she rested. She didn't know what time it was, but she could see the sun had set and he'd stayed where he was because the lights were all out now and she could barely see the room from where she lay against him. 

The phone rang again and Sakura groaned, sitting up and shaking her head to wake up. It was probably her parents, calling to say they were going on some moonlit walk around the lake or something equally as sappy. Something she didn't want to hear.

Something that would remind her of where Ino was right now.

Sakura sighed and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"… Sakura?"

For a moment she didn't recognize the voice. For a moment the unfamiliar soft tone sounded completely alien and Sakura opened her mouth to ask who was on the other side… then it hit her.

"Ino?"

It was so unlike her. In all the years they'd lived together – which had always seemed like an eternity- she'd never heard Ino sound so unsure. Ino was never unsure. Ino was never scared. She was always calm and confident and cool. Ino was just Ino. Sakura was the one who was supposed to be scared and shy all the time… right?

"Sakura… I'm sorry."

Another first. She couldn't remember that word ever sounding sincere from Ino. "W-what do you mean?"

"I want to come home. Now… please." Her voice was actually shaking and Sakura wasn't imagining things, she was sure she heard tears on the other end of the phone. What in the world had happened? Had she been hurt? Had something gone wrong? Had Sasuke hurt her?

"Where are you?" Sakura was already on her feet, the cordless phone clutched between her cheek and shoulder as she moved to the coat closet. She grabbed her coat in spite of the warm weather that was bound to be outside. The coat wasn't for her… she'd known Ino didn't take one to school that day. And as odd as it might sound, it seemed like Ino might need one, even if it were a hundred degrees outside.

"At… Sasuke's…"

"I'll be right there." Sakura hug up the phone and raced out the door, completely forgetting about Lee. At the moment, nothing was more important then her sister. 


End file.
